Mitts looks like the scratch tomorrow night.

the lack of effort is what I can't stand

this has nothing to do with coaching, they just don't try and go through the motions

15-16 skaters every damn night
- homiedclown

I stopped watching closely about a month or so ago
Love the Sabres,
but I’m not putting myself through anymore of the torture that this season has been

Mitts looks like the scratch tomorrow night.
- Pegullaville

Hurt?

No it means that defense travels and Flacco played his best when it mattered.

In regards to the Caps you have to assemble the best team. The Capitals had Ovi and Backstrom who were top 5 picks. If Kuznetsov was Canadian he would have went top 5 in his draft class. He fell due to Russian factor and stated he didn’t even know if he was going to come to NA at all. He was know as the best player outside of the NHL for years before finally coming over for the 2013/2014 season (he was drafted in 2010). So yes by having 3 elite forwards, elite goaltending, a great defense corps, and an elite coach they finally got over the hump last year.
- Pegullaville

Respectfully, Kuznetsov was drafted where he was drafted. #26. Russian or not Russian

Not top 5

Ovenchin and Backstrom were picked a dozen or so years ago. Look how long it took.

With no high picks or tanking for 12 years.
But they still won

Our goalies are average
Our defense is below average
Our coaching is horrible

Tom Wilson just got his 22nd goal this season

love him or hate him

he is performing stat wise, like a second line player, is paid what a second line player should get and is a force unlike the floaters we have
- homiedclown

Don't tell bandit or mental

Hurt?
- jdfitz77

Took line rushes with the defense. Looks like a healthy scratch.

Don't tell bandit or mental
- Boss34

Wilson is a good example of how you don’t need to have your 3 best players on your top line

Is he a 1st line talent?
Of course not
The Caps has been rotating that RW spot for years though until Wilson locked it down
He’s just been a good fit

And with him being able to be productive...
it allows Oshie to play on a really good 2nd line that consistently produces

Took line rushes with the defense. Looks like a healthy scratch.
- Pegullaville

That’s weird
I stopped watching closely
Has he been that bad?

That’s weird
I stopped watching closely
Has he been that bad?
- jdfitz77

He set up Reinhart's goal nicely.

No matter your overall view of his game, Sobotka was considerably worse.

(frank) Phil.

Oh my god I seriously hate Phil Housley

He set up Reinhart's goal nicely.

No matter your overall view of his game, Sobotka was considerably worse.

(frank) Phil.
- RhinoFan

Strange, mitts made a nice pass, but didnt play alot?

Wonder if phil is trying to prove a point of some sort?

Probably a bit late with this move

11 minutes / -1

Strange, mitts made a nice pass, but didnt play alot?

Wonder if phil is trying to prove a point of some sort?

Probably a bit late with this move

11 minutes / -1
- Boss34

What that he's a moron?

He set up Reinhart's goal nicely.

No matter your overall view of his game, Sobotka was considerably worse.

(frank) Phil.
- RhinoFan

Well it’s not gonna kill Mitts to sit,
but yeah... Sobatka in the top9 is ridiculous
I’ve been very against that all season long

The Sabres, in 48 seasons have
-Not qualified for playoffs 19 seasons
-Lost in the 1st round 15 times
-Won 1 round 8 times
-Won 2 rounds 5 times
-Won 3 rounds 1 times

Their best success was found in these seasons
2005-06
2006-07
1998-99
1997-98
1979-80
1974-75

That is 6 seasons of being "successful", which is giving them some slack in defining what success is (win 2 series or more)

Historically, the Sabres have been toxic for 42 seasons.
- IonSabres

Without doing any research id say the same thing about the Bills. Just hoping the sabres dont get me to the same level of apathy that the Bills have. I don't have any sports after hockey.

But was it bc he yelled at the officials?
Doubt it
- jdfitz77

Well, there's the thing we will never know. But it could have woke his team up after the crappy start they had yesterday, and thus gone on to destroy the head coach that never says boo behind the bench.

emotions are a funny thing, especially with teams. It's why some coaches are better than others... Nolan always got more from his players, Lindy always got more from his players. is it because they scream and yell? no but at the right time it's a hell of a motivating factor. something our dip poop coach has no clue about.

If you truly think emotions don't have a huge part in the is game, you are very mistaken. sometimes the coach yells and screams to wake a guy up, sometimes the team, sometime to say to the team I have your back, it us against the world. did the yell at the officials make a difference yesterday, guess you have to ask the players to know....

But I know this I'd rather have a guy that had a personality behind the bench than someone that shows no emotion...(other than chewing away at 75 sticks of gum) if you think the players don't take on the same personally as your coach you're mistaken.

What happened to Jeff Skinner? He straight up Evander Kaned us. ONE goal in the last 17 games, and only 6 points in the same stretch.

He set up Reinhart's goal nicely.

No matter your overall view of his game, Sobotka was considerably worse.

(frank) Phil.
- RhinoFan

As soon as Phil realized that Erod doesn't suck, he stuck Mittelstadt with Sobotka or Larsson and threw him under the bus.

What the (frank) are we doing here if we're scratching Mittelstadt in a useless season?

Can someone please tell Housley that Sobotka sucks?

Well, there's the thing we will never know. But it could have woke his team up after the crappy start they had yesterday, and thus gone on to destroy the head coach that never says boo behind the bench.

emotions are a funny thing, especially with teams. It's why some coaches are better than others... Nolan always got more from his players, Lindy always got more from his players. is it because they scream and yell? no but at the right time it's a hell of a motivating factor. something our dip poop coach has no clue about.

If you truly think emotions don't have a huge part in the is game, you are very mistaken. sometimes the coach yells and screams to wake a guy up, sometimes the team, sometime to say to the team I have your back, it us against the world. did the yell at the officials make a difference yesterday, guess you have to ask the players to know....

But I know this I'd rather have a guy that had a personality behind the bench than someone that shows no emotion...(other than chewing away at 75 sticks of gum) if you think the players don't take on the same personally as your coach you're mistaken.
- gordong

But not every good coach is a yeller & screamer

And not all yellers & screamers are good coaches

Nolan is a great example
Sure... he could motivate some guys
or maybe he just had guys that played hard regardless & he gets credit for it
Either way...
he was still a terrible coach
Which is why he’s struggled to find work ever since he left here the first time

Of course emotions play a part of a game
And I’m not totally discounting that here n there
But if you’re yelling all the time,
It’s gonna get stale pretty fast
And if you need to yell CONSISTENTLY to get your team fired up or whatever,
then your bigger problem is that you’ve got a flawed team that’s not going far no matter how much u yell or scream

Without doing any research id say the same thing about the Bills. Just hoping the sabres dont get me to the same level of apathy that the Bills have. I don't have any sports after hockey.
- Frizzlefry

Several seasons ago the Sabres were something like 4th all-time in regular season winning %.

There have been more than 6 good regular seasons here, but not much playoff success.

I think the '92-'93 team was very good, but were undone by injuries.

Well it’s not gonna kill Mitts to sit,
but yeah... Sobatka in the top9 is ridiculous
I’ve been very against that all season long
- jdfitz77

It's not gonna help him either.

He needs reps. I agree though, if they're just gonna stick him with Sobotka and whoever, then just send him to the minors. This is a waste of time

But not every good coach is a yeller & screamer

And not all yellers & screamers are good coaches

Of course emotions play a part of a game
And I’m not totally discounting that here n there
But if you’re yelling all the time,
It’s gonna get stale pretty fast
And if you need to yell CONSISTENTLY to get your team fired up or whatever,
then your bigger problem is that you’ve got a flawed team that’s not going far no matter how much u yell or scream
- jdfitz77

Where did I suggest that we hire a coach that consistently yells and screams?? All I said is someone with a pulse behind the bench. I gave you two pervious coaches that were really good at motivating their team. Not sure I know of any coach that Consistently yells and screams. and of course it would get old if that was the case.

It's not gonna help him either.

He needs reps. I agree though, if they're just gonna stick him with Sobotka and whoever, then just send him to the minors. This is a waste of time
- jcragcrumple

Maybe he’s just outta gas n needs a break
Maybe Housley/Botts wanna give him a game to watch from above

It’s not like when we had Antipin & he was sitting for long stretches
Sitting for a game here or there is no big deal for a young kid

Yeah.. Sobatka sucks
Sucks so much i refuse to spell his name right anymore
I wish he was never brought here,
but he is

Sending Mitts to Roch might have been a good idea
I definitely think Tage should be down there
But since Mitts can’t be in the playoffs for them, idk if sending him down at this point is the right thing

Regardless...
if they feel Mitts needs a night or 2 off for whatever reason
It’s not something to freak out about
Not imo anyways

Strange, mitts made a nice pass, but didnt play alot?

Wonder if phil is trying to prove a point of some sort?

Probably a bit late with this move

11 minutes / -1
- Boss34

He doesn't have the stones to bench Okposo or Skinner.

Rookies are easy to pick on. A convenient scape goat for a clueless coach

Maybe he’s just outta gas n needs a break
Maybe Housley/Botts wanna give him a game to watch from above

It’s not like when we had Antipin & he was sitting for long stretches
Sitting for a game here or there is no big deal for a young kid

Yeah.. Sobatka sucks
Sucks so much i refuse to spell his name right anymore
I wish he was never brought here,
but he is

Sending Mitts to Roch might have been a good idea
I definitely think Tage should be down there
But since Mitts can’t be in the playoffs for them, idk if sending him down at this point is the right thing

Regardless...
if they feel Mitts needs a night or 2 off for whatever reason
It’s not something to freak out about
Not imo anyways
- jdfitz77

To be fair, you never spelled his name right

But Mittelstadt should be playing, and playing with the best players available, because playing Sobotka in any role, but especially a top 9 role, is a useless exercise when there's nothing to play for

Big difference tanking for #1

The previous disagreement was tanking for 8th vs 12th- or before that a Top10 pick vs making the playoffs & losing round 1, picking 16th-ish
Which was a moot argument anyways bc it’s not like the current players were gonna try to lose
And it’s not like management could really do much to affect things 1 way or the other
- jdfitz77

Well
1st, no team in the NHL can tank for #1, nor 2, nor 3 anymore.
It is only a chance, and a significantly reduced chance that it works out that way...it is a major difference.
So no, I can't buy that explanation.

2nd, the benefit in having a higher pick is twofold
I) it may allow the team to draft a player is a different tier of projected play. This year, Hughes and Kakko are thought to be in a different tier than the ne t 8 or so after them...then again another tier kicks in around 10 to 20. So, theoretically that 8 vs 12 COULD be a difference.
B) it allows the team to have control over the player THEY prefer, rather than leftovers even within a tier. This year, I would prefer to have Cozens because he matches what I think the team needs...size, skating, skill, sniper and some degree of physicality. Others seem to be more like a Nylander...more perimeter, more distributor of pucks.

Summary, tanking has merit.
Glad you now see it.
Does that change now mean Pegulaville and other tankers are now good fans because you joined their line of thinking?